This invention relates to a dolly for one end supported transporting of a ramp loaded wheeled object, or a jack loaded unwheeled object, from something as small as garden tractors and golf carts to an automobile and to larger yet construction and farm equipment. Also sheds, buildings, bridge rails, mobile homes, etc, are transported on one or more dollies on one or both ends.
Rather than transporting an automobile or heavy equipment completely upon a trailer, just one end is loaded. A wheeled object is connected only by the front or rear wheels. No bumper or frame connection is required as for a tow bar. Also many of the rubber bumpers on automobiles preclude the attachment of a tow bar. What this invention relates to is a wheel latching rolling tow bar.
Prior art requires different sizes of dollies for different widths of vehicles. The loading ramps are in a fixed position with large vehicles not fitting on a narrow dolly and small vehicles not fitting on a wide dolly.
The prior art utilizes haywagon type of steering with a swivelling loading platform that maintains position with the towed vehicle. This passes road impact stresses down the tongue and on to the towing vehicle.
Another version of prior art utilizes castering wheels with the draw tongue and towed vehicle latched to a rigid longitudinal position with all of the towed vehicle mass being passed down the draw tongue to the towing vehicle when turning a corner or hitting a rut in the road.
Another need is for an end customer-assembleable automobile sized dolly that can be marketed and delivered in a box. Prior art is completely welded with all 500 to 600 pounds trailered to the end customer. An assembleable dolly could also be disassembled for storage under a bench when not in use.
Another limitation of prior art for automobiles is for loading vehicles that are disabled and not rolling such as a smashed car. There is no way to jack up the car under a cross member or differential and set it down on the dolly supporting platform.
In the automobile towing industry, there is a need for a variable width dolly to be latched to the wheels of the non-lifted end. Prior art requires assembly of components to a fixed width depending on the size of car being loaded.
Also large objects and equipment need to be hauled from one site to another. A larger version of the dolly is needed for frame or wheel attachment and for one end up or both end up transporting of these objects. When long objects are trailered on two or more dollies, there is a need to have the rear wheels steer in the opposite direction for less corner cutting. For these large objects, there is a need for multiple dollies to be attached to one or both ends with the possibility of all dollies being able to steer.